A new restaurant will debut in the spring at the site of a longtime eatery in Mahoning Township.

Don Corleone’s will succeed the former Normal Square Inn at 30 Fritz Valley Road.

Normal Square Inn closed at the end of October after former owner/chef Mike D’Amico Jr. handed it over to a distant relative.

Sal DiMaggio, owner/chef of Don Corleone’s in New Tripoli, purchased the building from D’Amico.

Sal’s son, Ottavio DiMaggio, will be owner/chef of Don Corleone’s in Mahoning Township.

“We were looking for a place that was close, we gave Mike a call, went to see him, and liked the place,” Ottavio DiMaggio said. “It’s a beautiful location, area. The people in Lehighton, everybody’s nice there.”

DiMaggio, 22, said he hopes to open Don Corleone’s in Mahoning Township sometime in the spring.

He said the restaurant will feature pizza, Italian food, steaks, lobster and other seafood.

DiMaggio, who lives in Effort, intends to employ about a dozen workers.

Don Corleone’s plans to be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

DiMaggio said they have begun remodeling the interior of the former Normal Square Inn, including work to have an open kitchen.

As for the exterior, he said they’re working on putting a fence around the porch so that outdoor seating can be offered in the spring and summer.

A liquor license is still needed and plans call for entertainment in the form of live bands, trivia nights, bingo and karaoke, DiMaggio said.

“I want the people to be, ‘Let’s go to Don Corleone’s,’ ” he said. “I want it to be a family place where everybody’s safe, likes the food and entertainment.”

DiMaggio, who has worked as chef/owner alongside his father, Sal, at Don Corleone Restaurant & Pizza in New Tripoli for the past three years, said he has since acquired a true passion for cooking.

“I came in the kitchen and knew absolutely nothing,” Ottavio DiMaggio said. “My dad taught me well, and within four months I learned everything.”

Sal DiMaggio, who has over 20 years of experience, owned a restaurant in New York City from 2011 to 2020 before closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Ottavio DiMaggio, the concept of running his own restaurant became too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“I always loved cooking, thought it was a fun job,” he said. “Once you get (familiar), it gets easy; it just takes time.”

DiMaggio said he has a primary objective once Don Corleone’s in Mahoning Township opens.

“I want to make everybody happy,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to retire anytime soon.”

DiMaggio said Don Corleone’s in New Tripoli will remain open after the Don Corleone’s launches in Mahoning Township.